Lilly Ledbetter—whose personal legal fight against pay discrimination led to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama—will be the speaker at Walden University’s summer commencement on Saturday, July 25, at 1:30 p.m. in Minneapolis. Walden will celebrate the graduation of more than 4,000 students at its 42nd commencement ceremony, to be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. 

“Lilly Ledbetter, a true American hero, fought for pay equity so that others would not undergo the discrimination she experienced,” said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden. “Walden is proud to have her share her inspiring story at our commencement.”  

Ledbetter served as a manager at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden, Ala., for almost 20 years. During that time, she received the top performance award and was the only woman selected to initiate the light truck production at the Gadsden Plant. Near the end of her career, she learned she had been paid less than virtually all of her male coworkers over the years. She sued Goodyear and won a jury verdict of more than $3 million. In 2007, in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against Ms. Ledbetter, saying that she had waited too long to bring her claim, overturning her original jury award and bringing her case to an end.   

Although Ledbetter saw no monetary award, her case led Congress to pass a law ensuring that other victims of pay discrimination have at least 180 days each time they are subject to a discriminatory pay decision, such as when wages are paid, to file a complaint, rather than only 180 days after the first application of a discriminatory pay decision. On Jan. 29, 2009, with Ms. Ledbetter present, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.   

Ledbetter is the latest contributor to Walden University’s “Perspectives on the World” series, which brings distinguished speakers to university events to share their diverse global views with students, graduates, faculty members and guests. For more information, visit www.waldenu.edu/perspectives.  

The commencement ceremony and address can be viewed live via webcast at www.WaldenU.edu.  

For information about attending commencement, go to www.WaldenU.edu/commencement. 

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